2. Chamberlink July Aug 31-56.qxp_Chamberlink 29/06/2021 11:59 Page 34
Chamber Patrons
Chamber Patrons Greater Birmingham Chambers’ leading supporters
Barriers faced by older women in business Women in ‘later life’ face greater disadvantages than their male counterparts when it comes to setting up their own business, new research has revealed. A study carried out at Aston University by businesswoman Dr Isabella Moore, found that older women had greater responsibilities as carers and looking after grandchildren, and demanded that further work should be done by industry to help women launch businesses. Dr Moore, who completed a doctorate in Business Administration at Aston and became and entrepreneur at 60, discussed her own experiences in the first episode of the fourth series of ‘Aston means business’, presented by Steve Dyson.
‘Many business support organisations don’t take women in later life who might be thinking to set up in business seriously’ She chairs the board of Comtec Translations, a specialist languages company she founded in the 1980s before selling it in 2002 and then buying it back “for a lot less than I sold it”. She said: “What struck me was that I remembered issues I had when I started in business in my 30s and I realised there were now some very different issues I had to contend with.” Those issues included being a grandmother, with some responsibility to support her daughter with the grandchildren, and having a mother who was now over 100. “But above all at that age what I found was a drop in confidence in myself and the feeling that somehow society saw me as somebody that has
Contact: Henrietta Brealey T: 0121 274 3266
Isabella Moore: Industry must do more to support women in business
done something, achieved something, but it’s time to retire. That was an identity that I had to struggle with.” Dr Moore developed an interest in women's entrepreneurship in her earlier career which saw her in a variety of roles, including the first female president of the British Chamber of Commerce. Dr Moore, who dislikes the term ‘older’ or ‘senior entrepreneur’, began her study by interviewing an equal number of men and women and looked at the research from three perspectives, starting with ‘societal attitudes’ against setting up in business in later life. She discovered that society did not see people who retire as potential entrepreneurs, despite having skills and experience. Dr Moore said: “The perception is they ought to be thinking about playing golf and looking after grandchildren. But they agreed that many business support organisations don’t take women in later life who might be thinking to set up in business seriously. They felt society assigned to them certain roles that it's very difficult to get out of. As a result, society regards women in later life as not potential material for entrepreneurs. “I also think the media need to portray women in later life in a different way, and Government policy needs to be refined around welfare, around pension, and make it easy for them to set up in business rather than put up hurdles.”
Support on offer for Black law students A new scheme designed to support better access to the legal profession for Black students has been set up by the University of Birmingham and Gowling WLG (UK). The Black Talent in Law Bursary scheme will see Gowling WLG (UK) Charitable Trust - a registered charity funded entirely by donations from partners of Gowling WLG - support the studies and future careers of Black students at Birmingham Law School (BLS). Students on the scheme will be provided with work placement opportunities at Gowling WLG, ongoing mentoring support from lawyers at the firm, and also paid financial contributions in their second and final year of their studies at BLS. Three students will be the first to enrol on the scheme in September. 34 CHAMBERLINK July/August 2021
Paul McConnell, head of Careers and Employability at Birmingham Law School, said: “Birmingham Law School is strongly committed to supporting the future careers of our students, and also enhancing diversity within the legal profession. We are delighted to be partnering with Gowling WLG (UK) Charitable Trust. The bursary will make a real difference for our students, providing both invaluable career development opportunities and also financial support for their studies.”
Support: University of Birmingham and Gowling WLG (UK) are working together to provide better access for Black students
‘Black lawyers are under-represented in corporate law firms and we are committed to doing our part to address this’
Andy Stylianou, chair of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP and the firm's lead on diversity and inclusion, said: “The scheme will offer the students a fantastic opportunity to gain invaluable experience working within a busy international law firm while completing their studies and to be financially supported along the way. “Black lawyers are underrepresented in corporate law firms and we are committed to doing our part to address this and to promote the progression of black students. “We look forward to working closely with Birmingham Law School to offer a rounded experience for all the students taking part in the scheme and welcoming the future lawyers joining us to develop their experience of a career in law.”
